Arri were displaying their LED light called a LoCaster which to my trained eye was not as impressive as I was expecting. Arri have been a large player for certainly my last 25 years in the video industry but I cannot get round the fact that their so called experts on the stand could not tell me what the LoCaster light output was in watts !

It looked a far cry from the sturdy aluminium lights Arri are famous for and the size was rather off-putting, not what you would expect for the money they are asking for this LED light, just over £1000.

Gekko were showing their Kelvin Technology Series LED-based lighting system provides unlimited variable color temperature, creating a new level of flexibility in lighting. Kelvin®TILES have a unique mix of 6 LEDs resulting in a high-quality, broad spectrum white light specifically developed for film and video applications. Unlike traditional lighting products, color temperature remains consistent throughout the full range of intensity variation.

Out of all the lighting manufacturers stands Gekko were the only one’s who made the effort to actually show off their lighting with a small set where DPs could see the effect of their LED lighting…10 out of 10.

What about their Kelvin technology LED lights…very impressive indeed the Double Density 6500K to 3200K costs £1,699.

Litepanels Solas are available in two models. The Sola6 draws 75 watts yet produces output equivalent to a 650W tungsten unit, and weighs 2.7kg (6 lbs). Designed for both on-camera and off-camera mounting, the SolaENG is only 102mm x 102mm x 127mm (4” x 4” x 5”) and weighs just .28kg (10 ounces). Employing a 7.62cm (3”) lens, it draws 30 watts yet produces output equivalent to a 250W tungsten. The SolaENG runs on 10-20VDCsources such as camera batteries, or via an AC power adapter. The 650W costs £1950.

The best bit about the stand was Barry Rubin a fantastic salesman who was effervescent and very friendly. His father, now in his eighty’s, had a bit part in Ghostbusters. Barry is the kind of salesman who every manufacturer can only dream of.

So who wins the LED light of IBC 2010 well it was a close contest between Gekko and LitePanels but my vote goes to LitePanels Sola 6 for the most useful LED light for todays DPs.

Tomorrow I will have a round up of the show and some new pictures of the Sony FilmLike camcorder and a video still from the footage.